A 21-year-old man who is alleged to have murdered his 19-year-old partner at Colo-i-Suva on June 28 will be sentenced next Friday by the High Court in Suva.

Suliasi Fuata appeared before Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe at the High Court in Suva yesterday.

Fuata is charged with one count of murder.

It is alleged that Fuata on June 28, 2019, at Colo-i-Suva, murdered Salanieta Leba.

Ms Leba, was rushed to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Fuata was represented by lawyer Shantel Hazelman from the Legal Aid Commission.

State prosecution was represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Elizabeth Rice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Fuata had pleaded guilty to the offence last Thursday and the matter was called yesterday for the summary of facts to be read out in court.

Ms Rice read the summary of facts.

The facts stated that Fuata and the deceased were in a relationship for many years. On the day of the incident, Ms Leba had visited the accused at his house in Colo-i-Suva at about 9pm.

The court heard that the mother of the accused had heard Fuata and the deceased arguing and she tried to stop the argument, however, they continued.

The court also heard that the two were arguing about the deceased’s Facebook page and that the deceased was crying at the time.

The court also heard that the deceased was stabbed five to six times and laid motionless in a pool of blood.

The accused had then told the mother that the deceased was in a pool of blood and that he was going to surrender himself to the Police.

While reading the summary of facts, Ms Rice also told the court that Fuata, in his caution interview, had mentioned that the partner had visited the West without the accused’s knowledge and that she had ‘love bites’ on her chest and the partner did not wish to have sex with him.

The court also heard that the deceased had begged for one last chance before the accused had stabbed her five to six times.

Ms Rice also read out the post mortem results in court.

Fuata told the court that he understood the summary of facts read out and admitted to it.

Ms Hazelman had sought for further time to file mitigation submissions.

Justice Rajasinghe ordered the defence to file mitigation and state prosecution to file supplementary sentencing submissions on or by September 2.

The matter was adjourned for sentencing on September 6.

Fuata has been remanded in custody.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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